When the Darkness Comes
by xxroxy-dogxx
Summary: "Really? Gonna call me Freckles?" she said. "It's either that or annoying bitch," he smirked. Ella glared at him, wanting to smack him upside the head. This man was annoying. Daryl OC
1. Chapter 1

A raven haired women stormed out of the family farm house, anger and frustration written across her lightly freckled face. She just did not get how ignorant her father could be about this whole situation. Did he not understand that those things were not human? That mom was not mom anymore? Her brother was not her brother? They were dangerous creatures that would bite at any given chance. She would try to argue some sense into him; make him understand that keeping them in that barn was absolutely stupid. What if the door gave in? Those things would come pouring out all over their farm. What made things worse was that her sisters Maggie and Beth did not even back her up. Odis and Patricia and Jimmy just kept quiet, not daring to get in between the two stubborn members of the Green family.

"Did everyone become stupid when shit hit the fan?" she mumbled to her self as she wandered into the stables and went straight to her horse, Taz.

She caressed his nose before hopping on the edge of the stall and sitting there trying to even out her breathing. The gelding nudged her leg in hopes of getting another rub on the nose. Ella smiled slightly and rubbed his nose gently. She ran a hand through her hair and closed her eyes, leaning her head against the pillar behind her. This world was a tough one. Tougher than it was before. At least the only thing she had to worry about before was arriving to work on time and getting homework done. Now it was worrying about staying alive and surviving. Well, more like staying safe on this farm. It was not a bad set up. She considered her and her family to be relatively lucky. No large groups of walkers had come their way so far and they were able to grow their own food and eat their chickens. Against her father's wishes, Ella had come back with a deer one night for them to eat. He was not keen on her, or anyone, going out into the woods. In fact, he forbid it, but Ella did not listen. She was the rebellious daughter. Even at twenty-four she stayed rebellious and hardheaded.

"Help!" an unknown voice howled through out the silence of the farm. 

Ella jumped off the stall and sprinted out the stable towards the sound of the voice. She saw in the fields a man carrying what looked like a child in his arms. The child was not moving. Just behind him she was barely able to make out two other men on the tree line. Ella assumed one had to be Odis. He went out hunting today. She ran up to the front of the house and yelled through the door.

"Daddy! Maggie!" she called as the man with the child drew closer to the home, clear distraught and panic on his face.

"Please, help. My son has been shot," the man stuttered out, his breathing erratic.

Ella's father, Hershel, came out of the house in a rush followed by Maggie and Patricia.

"My son has been shot, please..." the man trailed off.

Hershel glanced at the young boy and then to the man before going back into the home gesturing the man to follow after him, "Quickly, we'll get him set up and get to work fast."

"What's your name?" Ella inquired.

The man looked to her briefly, "Rick. Rick Grimes. This is my son Carl."

The man rushed into the home and Ella followed along with Patricia and Maggie. They all headed upstairs into a spare room. The Rick put Carl on the bed and Patricia helped Hershel get him set up with the proper medical equipment.

"I need to tell my wife. Lori needs to know," the man was frantic.

"Where is she?" Ella asked knowing she could get there fast to help this man out; this boy needed his mother here too.

"In the woods, about four miles North. We have a camp set up on the edge of the highway on the treeline," Rick said to her.

"We have a group. There should be a few more out there with her."

"I'll go with you," Maggie said to Ella as the two women headed out the room, Hershel telling them to be safe before they left.

The two sisters ran to the stables and got their horses set up. Ella being the first to get Taz into a canter with Maggie on her horse right behind her. The rushed into the forest and towards the highway looking for Rick's group, his wife. The girls, hell the whole family, new how important it would be for this young boy's mother to be with him while he went through such a traumatizing event. At least his father was with him for the time being.

Maggie and Ella urged their horses as fast as they could through the thick forest, doing their best to reach this man's group. Ella took notice of the baseball bat on the side of Maggie's saddle. It surprised her a little because Maggie was not the one who would think a weapon was necessary but given the circumstances it was better to be safe than sorry, especially in the forest. Ella glanced down at her saddle to double check that her machete what still on it just incase.

The sisters road deeper into the forest, keeping a look out for a group of people that Rick said should be his group. Ella was just hoping that they would not run into any large groups of walkers. She never came across them when she went out into the forest on her own, but she new it was a possibility. However, she may have been wrong as a scream pierced over the thunder of the horse's hooves. Maggie looked to Ella and they went the direction of the scream, coming into view of a group of people with a walker nearing one of them. Ella reached the walker, taking her machete out and taking off it's head.

"Lori? Lori Grimes?" Maggie asked looking at the group as she stopped in front of them.

Ella jumped off her horse and helped the young blond woman up from the ground.

"Are you okay?" she asked dusting off the dirt and leaves from the women.

She shook her head still in shock from the attack. Ella took her canteen from the saddle and handed it to the women, "Here. She help you calm down a little."

The women smiled slightly in thanks and drank some the water.

"I'm her," a tall dark hair women approached Maggie looking concerned.

"I need you to come with me. It's Carl, he's been shot," Maggie said to Lori.

Ella watched as Lori's face fell to disbelief.

"Your husband is with him at our farm. Our father is helping him," Maggie told her and held a hand out for Lori to get on the back of her horse.

"I'll lead them back to their camp and meet you back home, Maggie," Ella said and Maggie nodded in return.

Lori took Maggie's hand and hopped on the back. A man with a crossbow stepped out and grabbed Lori's wrist.

"Hey wait now. How do we know we can trust them?" he asked harshly, throwing a glare to both sister.

"They know my name. And Rick and Carl's. I'm going to be with my son," she said sternly before Maggie took off with Lori back to the farm.

The group all looked at Ella who nervous fiddled with the reins of her horse. The man that talked looked at her with an intensity, most likely trying to figure out if she could be trusted or not.

"Thank you," the blond woman said, handing back Ella the canteen.

Ella smiled and put the canteen back.

"I hear you folks are up on the highway. I'll lead you back," she said turning to walk and lead the group.

"Now wait just a minute, how do we know we can trust you?" the man who spoke earlier asked her.

Ella was growing annoyed with this guy and she had only been here for a few minutes.

"Our farm is just south of here. If you back track on the highway and turn down this dirt road, you'll see a mailbox with the name Green on it. We live down there," she said to him.

"I wouldn't give you our location if we meant to hurt you guys."

He stared at her for a bit longer before walking ahead of her, the rest of the group moving slowly, following him. She moved along with them, tugging Taz along with her and by her side.

"You wouldn't have happened to see a small girl, around ten in the woods have you?" a woman asked Ella.

Ella looked at the woman. She had short grey hair and worried bright blue eyes. She frowned at the question. They were looking for a lost little girl and that was heartbreaking. No child should be lost in this world. Or at all.

"No, I haven't. But, I can help you look," Ella said, offering her help.

The women smiled slightly, "Thank you. The more help the better."

"We don't need no horse bound woman draggin' us down," the man from earlier snapped.

'What a real peach,' Ella thought.

"I know these woods backwards. I could help track as well. There's a few places here that she could have holed up in to hide," Ella said looking back at the woman with a reassuring smile.

"I'm Carol," the woman introduced her self.

"Ella."

As they walked forward through the woods, sweating dripping down their faces as the Georgia heat beat down on them, Ella learned who everyone was. Glenn was a young guy around her age. She took note he was gawking at Maggie when they came to get Lori. Andrea was the young woman she had saved from the walker. Ella took notice that she did not seem to be happy at all. It wasn't a world to be cheery in, but she could tell there was a deeper issue. Next was the guy that had a just an oh-so-lovely attitude – Daryl. He had a neutral expression his face nearly the whole time they walked and he was very serious about tracking and everyone keeping quiet.

"What did you do before all this, Ella?" Glenn asked her breaking the silence.

"I worked at a small store in town and was going to school. Just the average young adult life I suppose," she answered him keeping an eye out for anything unusual just to be safe.

"What were you studying?"

"Astronomy. I wanted to be a professor in California," she said to him wiping sweat from her face.

"That's really cool. I was majoring in history," he said.

Ella looked at him with an interesting look, "You don't strike me as the history type."

Glenn shrugged, "Most people don't, but I loved it."

"That's all that matters. Hell, maybe one if this shit clears up, you can pursue that again," she said with some small hope.

Glenn gave her a small smile and they fell silent. Ella held a bit of hope despite the current world situation and knowing how awful shit is now. Hope is what kept her going everyday. Hope that one day the remaining people in this world can move and beat this. Start over. Start new lives and rebuild. Maybe in a year, maybe in ten. But she held onto that belief. It's all she had besides her family.


	2. Chapter 2

The group made it back to the high way with the extra help of Ella guiding them back. They had been keeping any eye out for Sophia, the little girl that was lost, on the way back. They found some tracks but concluded it must have been from walkers because of how messy and inconsistent they were. Ella was the one to spot them which colored Daryl impressed. The girl interested him for some reason. Why be so kind to these strangers? It was an odd thing considering the world had went to shit and at times the living were more of threat than the dead. He still did not like her despite the curiosity she struck in him. He was certain she would just prove to be another person to protect, to feed. She's probably someone's burden in his mind.

"I think you you all would be safer at our farm. The highway isn't a safe place to be," Ella said to them as they stopped by the large RV.

"Also, I'm sure your friends Rick and Lori could use the support."

The group agreed. Including Dale, who she just met as they rested at the RV. He was a nice man; cared about everyone he had been with it seems. Then there was T-Dogg who wasn't looking so hot. Ella was told he cut his arm pretty bad on a broken car door.

"My dad can help T-Dogg too. He's not looking too good and I'm thinking an infection might set in soon," she said to Dale.

"You're right," he said.

"We can't just leave. What if Sophia comes back? She's only a little girl!" Carol argued, tears brimming her bright blue eyes.

Ella sighed and looked at her with sympathy, "I can stay here tonight and watch for her."

Carol looked shocked but happy at the offer, "I couldn't ask you to do that."

"You're not. I'm offering. You guys could leave a sign and some food too letting her know to stay here when you get back. Check in the day after tomorrow," Ella said to her.

"Not a bad idea," Glenn agreed.

The group agreed that they would leave a sign for Sophia after Ella left the highway in the morning. Daryl said he would stay with her. Two pairs of eyes were better than one. Ella gave Glenn the directions again to the farm. She told him to let her sister know where she was and that she would be back. Everyone packed up a jeep and headed to the farm, leaving Daryl and Ella to keep watch for the night.

"What are you doing?" Daryl asked as they sat on top of the RV, the sun just starting to hide behind the hills.

"Helping," she said simply, staring out at the tree line for any sign of movement.

"Why? Not like we asked ya to help. Prolly just get in the way," Daryl muttered that last part to him self but Ella heard it.

She snapped her eyes over to him, keeping a calm face but her green eyes held annoyance, "I know this forest backwards, so I would like to know how I am getting in the way. I can track and I can hunt. Last I checked those two things don't get in the way."

Daryl stayed silent, a little surprised that she snapped at him. He didn't think she had the guts to do that, especially to someone she just met. Clearly this girl held a lot more personality than he first thought. A very fiery personality.

"Besides, no little girl should be lost. Not in this world especially. You guys can use the extra eyes," she added softly looking back to the tree line.

The sky was completely black after an hour of sitting on top the RV. Ella leaned over to check on Taz. He was dozing in his spot tied to the front of the RV. She had taken his saddle off for his comfort. She smiled at her sleepy horse and straightened back up, enjoying the silence. And surprisingly, enjoying the company. Daryl wasn't the number one person she wanted to be stuck with, but, at least she wasn't by her self. There was another person to keep an out on things with her.

"Why are you doing this?" she broke the silence.

"I know what it's like to be lost in the woods," he answered, no emotion in his voice.

Ella looked at him, wanting him to go on with the story. She knew there was a story.

"Did your parents find you?"

"Dad didn't care, Merle was locked up for something, and my ma passed. I found my way back," he said shifting in his seat to comfortable.

"Walked right into the kitchen and made my self a sandwich," Daryl said, "Had poison ivy like a bitch though on my ass like no other."

Ella smiled to her self, trying not to giggle out loud. It was sad that he had to go through that when he was young but the added comment on the poison ivy made it funny for some odd reason. She let out a snort trying to cover her laugh. Daryl looked at her confused.

"I'm sorry, it's not funny," she said trying not to smile.

She noticed Daryl smiled slightly before it disappeared. He looked back to the tree line, breathing in a deep breath and letting out.

"What about you? Ever get lost?" he asked, keeping the comfortable conversation going.

"No. I did run away once," Ella said with a smirk.

"I got into a huge fight with my dad about a boyfriend I had that he did not like. He told me to break up with him or I would be grounded or something. I got so mad. Took my car and left with my boyfriend out of state. After a few days, realized how much of an ass the guy was and came back," she explained to Daryl who was actually paying attention to her words.

"And?" he insisted.

"I was grounded," she smiled.

Daryl let out what sounded like a laugh. She guessed he wasn't too mad if he was keeping a conversation with her. Then again, he was probably just bored. She sure as shit was which is why she didn't mind talking. Normally around strangers she's very quiet and prefers to just observe everything and everyone around her. Then again, she did that on the walk to the highway.

"Didn't think of you as the rebellious type," Daryl commented.

Ella could see what he meant. At first look, she didn't look close to someone who would be rebellious. She had long curly dark curly hair, light freckles across her face, and big green eyes. Not tattoos or over the top piercings either. She looked like any other country girl.

"I'm the oldest of three daughters; My parents had to learn with me," she laughed.

"Maggie and Beth are the good ones. Beth especially. Maggie had her moments of defiance against our dad."

Daryl nodded and started at the trees. Ella let the conversation die and pick the silence back up again. She let the warm wind hit her skin and give her a small chill. She finally took a moment to bring in her surroundings. She looked at the black highway; it was haunting to see in the moonlight. Cars piled against each other and other just vacant because a family needed to get away fast. The silence was deafening and kind of scary. This highway was buzzing with people commuting to work at one point and now it was dead. The air smelled stale. The smell of old gasoline and corpses was in the air around this highway. She couldn't wait to get back to the farm and smell the freshness of the grass.


End file.
